Until the late 19th century, the isolation of AcadiansAcadia includes roughly the north and east of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, as well as more isolated communities in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia. In a broader sense, Acadia also refers to the Acadian diaspora communities in Quebec and the United States; people of Acadian descent can also be found in France, the Falkland Islands and the West Indies. Acadia is not officially recognized, but is said to form a nation through its language, culture, institutions and symbols. helped preserve a rich and varied folklore, passed down through generations.
History The ancestors of the Acadians primarily originated from western France, including regions such as Touraine, Aunis, Saintonge, Charente, and Bas-Poitou (later known as Vendée). They also came from areas like Burgundy, Upper Brittany, the Basque Country, and Paris, among others. However, authors from the 17th to 19th centuries provided relatively sparse commentary on Acadian folklore. It is known that Acadian folklore and, more broadly, Acadian culture developed through interactions with Indigenous peoples, French Canadians, Scots, Irish, and French sailors, whether passing through or deserting their ships.
Folklore was somewhat disregarded by the elite until the newspaper L'Évangéline began publishing a column on Acadian songs by Thomas LeBlanc in 1939. Later, Anselme Chiasson and Daniel Boudreau compiled the collection Chansons d'Acadie between 1942 and 1956. This sparked interest in Acadian folklore among foreign researchers, which was soon mirrored by Acadians themselves. The Université de Moncton has been teaching folklore since 1966, and its Centre for Acadian Studies, along with Université Laval, houses significant collections on the subject. The largest collection of Acadian legends, comprising 20,000 entries, was cataloged between 1973 and 1982 by Catherine Jolicoeur.
Traditional songs are now featured in media and performances; these songs also helped launch the careers of Édith Butler and Angèle Arsenault. Additionally, folklore has inspired numerous authors, including Antonine Maillet.
Life cycle According to the French folklorist Arnold van Gennep, a rite of passage involves three stages: the end of one phase, a transitional stage between two phases (such as engagement), and rebirth. Among Acadians, it is primarily marriage and death that are marked by rites of passage.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Traditionally, a woman would work almost up to the day of giving birth unless there was a risk of miscarriage. In such cases, a woman would remain bedridden, and one remedy involved placing a saucer filled with garlic on her stomach.
Children were kept unaware of the pregnancy, and the mother’s bed rest was explained as being due to a "broken leg." In New Brunswick, other explanations included the passage of Indigenous people or the mid-Lent festival (Mi-Carême). On the day of delivery, children were sent to relatives and were told that the baby had been found in the hay, a pond, the woodpile, a spring, a tree stump, or under a cabbage leaf. In some regions, the explanation was instead that the baby had been brought by the "savages", the Mi-Carême, the midwife, or the doctor.
In the past, the midwife stayed with the mother for two or three days. Today, 88% of Canadian women receive prenatal care in hospitals, and most give birth there. However, the profession of midwifery was officially recognized in New Brunswick in 2008. A notable midwife was Édith Pinet (1904–1999).
The postpartum recovery period (*relevailles*) traditionally occurred about ten days after childbirth, after which the mother gradually resumed her activities. Baptisms were simple ceremonies, without church bells ringing or any celebration at home.
Childhood A child's hair is not cut before the age of one to prevent them from becoming an "idiot", and they are kept from seeing themselves in a mirror to avoid becoming vain.
Educational games are taught to children as soon as they can understand them. Later, they play many games similar to those found in Quebec, though often under different names: dodgeball, four corners, blind man's bluff, hide-and-seek, the button game, and hot potato. Games are often accompanied by songs, particularly among girls. Riddles, puzzles, tongue twisters, and nursery rhymes are also popular with children and often have counterparts in other French-speaking regions.
Adolescence Before the rise of industrialization in the 20th century, girls stayed home to help their families or work in the fields. Occasionally, they were hired out as servants. Boys also worked on farms, chopped firewood, or, near the coast, fished with their fathers. By the late 19th century, more young men began leaving home to work, initially in logging camps.
The lack of recreational activities in earlier times led many young people to play pranks. In some cases, the damage became so severe that the Bishop of Quebec had to intervene. Certain towns became notorious for their "rock throwers." This tradition of mischief persists on Halloween, where some youth engage in acts like toilet papering trees and public spaces or even setting cars on fire. In rare cases, police officers allow themselves to be pelted with eggs in hopes of reducing vandalism.
Courtship Up until the early 20th century, courtship was closely monitored by most parents. A young woman would never go out without a chaperone, and courtship took place only in her home. A suitor could visit his girlfriend only on designated "good evenings" and had to behave appropriately, refraining from paying too much attention to her.
To initiate a private meeting, the young man might toss a matchstick or twig to signal that she could join him away from the group. If she was not interested, she would respond with a subtle gesture. Courtships were typically brief, and the formal proposal occurred when the young man invited the girl's parents to a private room for discussion. In some places, such as the Magdalen Islands, there were fixed rituals for proposing. The young man might bring a gift for his future in-laws, such as grapes.
Marriage The parents of the bride and groom collaborate with the priest to arrange the wedding preparations. While there is no formal dowry, the bride may receive various items or farm animals from her family, depending on their means. Weddings often take place in the winter, during a break in seasonal work. They are never held during Lent or Advent. In Chéticamp, weddings frequently occur on Tuesday mornings following Epiphany.
In the early 19th century, the bride and groom wore their Sunday best, adorned with ribbons and rosettes. The carriage transporting them to the church could also be decorated with ribbons. By the 20th century, the fathers of the bride and groom replaced bridesmaids and groomsmen as witnesses to the ceremony. In earlier times, the newlyweds were greeted with musket shots, and the bride might be "stolen" in a symbolic mock abduction.
The wedding dinner typically took place at the bride's parents' home, while the supper and evening gathering were hosted by the groom's parents. It was customary to perform special wedding songs or songs of the bride. A dance followed the meal; traditionally, this was often the only occasion where the priest permitted the community to dance. At midnight, the bride would shake hands with the guests before retiring, while the dancing might continue until morning. Honeymoons became a common practice in the 20th century.
The supper and evening gatherings were considered essential. If omitted, or if the marriage was disapproved of, the community would impose a charivari—a noisy demonstration that could last for days or even weeks until the couple invited the rowdy participants to share a drink. The tradition of the charivari persists in southeastern New Brunswick.
In the past, if the groom was the youngest son, he and his wife remained with his parents. They cared for the parents, who in turn assisted them and typically left them their estate.
Old Age and Death Before the construction of homes for the elderly or disabled in the second half of the 20th century, parishes or councils ensured they were housed through the “sale of the elderly,” an auction held on the church steps. Upon their death, their belongings were also auctioned off to fund their funerals.
It was customary to hold a vigil for the deceased over two consecutive nights. The body, covered with a white sheet and a handkerchief, was displayed on wooden planks. Children’s coffins were covered in white, while those of adults were black. Mourning could last up to a year and a half. Widows would wear black, while widowers donned a black crêpe armband. In Memramcook, mourning was followed by a period of “half-mourning,” during which widowers avoided wearing bright colors.
The coffin was laid to rest in the cemetery, where a temporary wooden cross was erected, often later replaced with a headstone. The soil around the grave was maintained for years. In Nova Scotia, grass was removed, and the grave was decorated with white pebbles collected from the beach, typically arranged in the shape of a cross surrounded by a circle.
Genealogy A child often receives the name of the saint or holy figure associated with the day of their baptism, or a biblical name. Historically, only the first name was used in daily life, with the surname reserved for official records, correspondence, or interactions with outsiders. To differentiate people, names were extended using the father’s and often the grandfather’s names: for instance, "Simon à Jean à Thomas" or "Abraham à Jacques à Pierre." A special “healer’s name” was given to the seventh child in a family, as it was believed they could cure certain ailments through touch alone.
Calendar Acadians follow the Gregorian calendar, which closely aligns with the religious calendar, thanks to the Christianization of former pagan festivals. It divides the year into a growing season—characterized by milder weather, intense activity, and fewer festivities—and a dormant season in winter, during which most celebrations take place. The main festivities include New Year’s Day, Epiphany, Candlemas, Mardi Gras, and Mid-Lent, all occurring between Christmas and Easter. Over time, some festivals have lost popularity while new ones have emerged. It is worth noting that Chiasson et al. classify agrarian events as part of material culture rather than traditional festivities.
The people of Chéticamp were known to use two systems for dating years: the Gregorian calendar and another based on extraordinary events, often related to the sea. For example, 1861 was known as "the year of Moses’ wreck" (raque à Moïse, from the English word "wreck"), referring to the discovery of a shipwreck by sailors near Anticosti Island.
New Year's Eve
In Chéticamp, people say they "bury the old year", while in southwestern Nova Scotia, they "kill the old year", and in the Magdalen Islands, they "bury the rear of the year." Adults often stay up past midnight on December 31. Families and friends gather to play cards, sing songs, and shake hands while wishing each other a happy New Year at the end of the evening. The arrival of the new year may also be marked by gunshots. In Chéticamp and the Magdalen Islands, there is a tradition of "beating the old year", where people gather with sticks and hit the corners of houses at a signal.
New Year's Day